Advanced Biophysical Techniques in Biosciences

This book presents an overview of advanced biophysical techniques that can be used to understand the physicochemical properties of biomolecules and biomaterials and expand their potential for biomedical applications. It is split into two parts, the first covering advanced biophysical techniques and the second covering bioscience applications. Adequate knowledge about the behavior of biomacromolecules is essential for standardizing their applications in various industries. These properties are strongly influenced by the composition, chain structure (e.g. linear or branch), linkage patterns, and molecular weight of the biomolecules. This book describes the various internal and external factors that develop the structural and functional properties of biomolecules. Further, it covers the advanced techniques that can be used to discover and enhance these properties, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, fluorescence spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, force spectroscopy, optical tweezers, and more. It also covers high-performance liquid chromatography for biomolecule detection, including sample preparation, column selection, mobile phase determination, and the choice of an appropriate detector for the investigation.

This book serves as a modern resource on the topic, providing an in-depth analysis of various important physicochemical properties as well as their wide range of applications, including in pharmaceuticals, bioimaging/sensing, cancer therapy, food sciences, textiles, scaffolds, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. Readers are presented with several invasive and non-invasive techniques that can be used for the characterization of biomacromolecules along with many types of physical, chemical, and physicochemical modifications that can be used to enhance their usage.